AACORN Charter Members

AACORN's Charter Members include both junior and established scholars with research interests and expertise pertinent to obesity and related health disparities.

Shiriki Kumanyika, PhD (Human Nutrition), MPH

AACORN Founder and Chair
Professor of Epidemiology, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Associate Dean for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Philadelphia, PA

Obesity-related expertise/interests: obesity and cardiovascular disease; culturally-based models for obesity prevention and treatment in African American adults and children; obesity prevention

Recent publications:

• Yancey A, Winfield D, Larsen J, Anderson M, Jackson P, Overton J, Wilson S, Rossum A, Kumanyika S. "Live, Learn and Play" Building Strategic Alliances between Professional Sports and Public Health. Prev Med. 2009 Jul 9.
• Whitt-Glover MC, Kumanyika SK. Systematic review of interventions to increase physical activity and physical fitness in African-Americans. Am J Health Promot. 2009 Jul-Aug;23(6):S33-56.
• Kumanyika SK, Yancey AK. Physical activity and health equity: evolving the science. Am J Health Promot. 2009 Jul-Aug;23(6):S4-7.
• Huang TT, Drewnowski A, Kumanyika SK, Glass TA. A systems-oriented multilevel framework for addressing obesity in the 21st century. Prev Chronic Dis. 2009 Jul;6(3):A97. Epub 2009 Jun 15.
• Lewis CE, McTigue KM, Burke LE, Poirier P, Eckel RH, Howard BV, Allison DB, Kumanyika S, Pi-Sunyer FX. Mortality, health outcomes, and body mass index in the overweight range: a science advisory from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2009 Jun 30;119(25):3263-71.
• Kraak VI, Kumanyika SK, Story M. The commercial marketing of healthy lifestyles to address the global child and adolescent obesity pandemic: prospects, pitfalls and priorities. Public Health Nutr. 2009 Jun 23:1-10.
• Cook NR, Obarzanek E, Cutler JA, Buring JE, Rexrode KM, Kumanyika SK, Appel LJ, Whelton PK. Joint effects of sodium and potassium intake on subsequent cardiovascular disease: the Trials of Hypertension Prevention follow-up study. Archives of internal medicine 2009;169(1):32-40.

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Njeri Karanja, PhD (Human Nutrition)

Senior Investigator
Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research
Portland, OR

Obesity-related expertise/interests: nutrition and weight management in chronic disease prevention though the life cycle, particularly in minority populations; macronutrient composition of the diet and weight regulation; intervention models in clinical and community settings

Recent publications:

• Wylie-Rosett J, Karanja N. American Heart Association's behavioral roundtable for preventable disparities. Prev Chronic Dis. 2009 Apr;6(2):A71.
• Gold EB, Pierce JP, Natarajan L, Stefanick ML, Laughlin GA, Caan BJ, Flatt SW, Emond JA, Saquib N, Madlensky L, Kealey S, Wasserman L, Thomson CA, Rock CL, Parker BA, Karanja N, Jones V, Hajek RA, Pu M, Mortimer JE. Dietary pattern influences breast cancer prognosis in women without hot flashes: the women's healthy eating and living trial. J Clin Oncol. 2009 Jan 20;27(3):352-9.
• Pierce JP, Newman VA, Natarajan L, Flatt SW, Al-Delaimy WK, Caan BJ, Emond JA, Faerber S, Gold EB, Hajek RA, Hollenbach K, Jones LA, Karanja N, Kealey S, Madlensky L, Marshall J, Ritenbaugh C, Rock CL, Stefanick ML, Thomson C, Wasserman L, Parker BA. Telephone counseling helps maintain long-term adherence to a high-vegetable dietary pattern. J Nutr. 2007 Oct;137(10):2291-6.
• Karanja N, Lancaster KJ, Vollmer WM, Lin PH, Most MM, Ard JD, Swain JF, Sacks FM, Obarzanek E. Acceptability of sodium-reduced research diets, including the Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension diet, among adults with prehypertension and stage 1 hypertension. J Am Diet Assoc. 2007;107(9):1530-8.
• American Heart Association Nutrition Committee; Lichtenstein AH, Appel LJ,Brands M, Carnethon M, Daniels S, Franch HA, Franklin B, Kris-Etherton P, Harris WS, Howard B, Karanja N, Lefevre M, Rudel L, Sacks F, Van Horn L, Winston M, Wylie-Rosett J. Diet and lifestyle recommendations revision 2006: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee. Circulation. 2006; 114:82-96.

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Melicia C. Whitt-Glover, PhD (Physical Activity Epidemiology)

President & CEO
Gramercy Research Group
Winston-Salem, NC

Obesity-related expertise/interests: Role of physical activity in obesity prevention and control; physical activity behavior change programs; physical activity assessment

Recent publications:

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Bettina M. Beech, DrPH (Community Health), MPH

Professor, Division of Public Health Sciences
Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Co-Director, Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity
Wake Forest School of Medicine
Winston Salem, NC

Obesity-related expertise/interests: community-based models for obesity and chronic disease preventive interventions in children and adolescents

Recent publications:

• Beech BM, Joosten Y. Innovations in family and community health. Foreword. Fam Community Health. 2009 Jul-Sep;32(3):194-5.
• Buscemi J, Beech BM, Relyea G. Predictors of Obesity in Latino Children: Acculturation as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Food Insecurity and Body Mass Index Percentile. J Immigr Minor Health. 2009 May 27. [Epub ahead of print]
• Bruce MA, Beech BM, Sims M, Brown TN, Wyatt SB, Taylor HA, Williams DR, Crook E. Social environmental stressors, psychological factors, and kidney disease. J Investig Med. 2009 Apr;57(4):583-9. Review.
• Niswender KD, Beech BM. Obesity: increasing awareness of novel environmental factors. Diabetes. 2008;57(7):1786-7.

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JoAnne Banks, RN, PhD (Nursing)

Bertha L. Shelton Endowed Professor of Nursing Research
School of Nursing
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem, NC

Obesity-related expertise/interests: development of contextually consistent, culture-based interventions to promote health behavior change among women; physical activity.

Recent publications:

• Kumanyika SK, Whitt-Glover MC, Gary TL, Prewitt TE, Odoms-Young AM, Banks-Wallace J, Beech BM, Halbert CH, Karanja N, Lancaster KJ, Samuel-Hodge CD. Expanding the obesity research paradigm to reach African American communities. Prev Chronic Dis. 2007 Oct;4(4):A112.
• Banks-Wallace J, Outcomes from Walk the Talk: a nursing intervention for Black women. ABNF J. 2007 Winter; 18(1):19-24.
• Banks-Wallace J, Conn V. Changes in steps per day over the course of a pilot walking intervention. ABNF J. 2005; 16:28-32.
• Banks-Wallace J, Enyart J, Johnson C. Recruitment and entrance of participants into a physical activity intervention for hypertensive African American women. ANS Adv Nurs Sci. 2004; 27:102-16.

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Tiffany L. Gary-Webb, PhD (Clinical Epidemiology)

Associate Professor
Department of Epidemiology
Columbia University
Mailman School of Public Health
New York, NY

Obesity-related expertise/interests: epidemiology of diabetes and it complications, clinical trial design and conduct, and medical claims data analysis; socioeconomic and cultural influences on diabetes management.

Recent publications:

• Gary TL, Safford MM, Gerzoff RB, Ettner SL, Karter AJ, Beckles GL, Brown AF. Perception of neighborhood problems, health behaviors, and diabetes outcomes among adults with diabetes in managed care: the Translating Research Into Action for Diabetes (TRIAD) study. Diabetes Care. 2008;31(2):273-8.
• Gary TL, Stark SA, LaVeist TA. Neighborhood characteristics and mental health among African Americans and whites living in a racially integrated urban community. Health Place. 2007;13(2):569-7
• Gary TL, Gross SM, Browne DC, LaVeist TA. The College Health and Wellness Study: baseline correlates of overweight among African Americans. J Urban Health. 2006;83(2):253-65.
• Gary TL, Baptiste-Roberts K, Crum RM, Cooper LA, Ford DE, Brancati FL. Changes in depressive symptoms and metabolic control over 3 years among African Americans with type 2 diabetes. Int J Psychiatry Med. 2005;35(4):377-82.
  

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Chanita Hughes-Halbert, PhD (Personality Psychology)

Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Director, Community and Minority Cancer Prevention and Control Initiative, Abramson Cancer Center
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA

Obesity-related expertise/interests: body image and weight management in breast cancer survivors; sociocultural factors that influence African American women decisions to participate in genetics research

Recent publications:

• Weathers B, Kessler L, Collier A, Stopfer JE, Domchek S, Halbert CH. Utilization of religious coping strategies among African American women at increased risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Fam Community Health. 2009 Jul-Sep;32(3):218-27.
• Halbert CH, Weathers B, Delmoor E, Mahler B, Coyne J, Thompson HS, Have TT, Vaughn D, Malkowicz SB, Lee D. Racial differences in medical mistrust among men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Cancer. 2009 Jun 1;115(11):2553-61.
• Dahm JL, Cook E, Baugh K, Wileyto EP, Pinto A, Leone F, Halbert CH, Schnoll RA. Predictors of enrollment in a smoking cessation clinical trial after eligibility screening. J Natl Med Assoc. 2009 May;101(5):450-5.
• Hughes Halbert C, Wrenn G, Weathers B, Delmoor E, Ten Have T, Coyne JC. Sociocultural determinants of men's reactions to prostate cancer diagnosis. Psychooncology. 2009 May 1. [Epub ahead of print]

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Carmen D. Samuel-Hodge, PhD (Public Health Nutrition)

Research Assistant Professor
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Schools of Public Health and Medicine, Nutrition Department
Chapel Hill, NC

Obesity-related expertise/interests: nutrition and physical activity in diabetes self-management; community-based nutrition and physical activity intervention design; measurement and testing of psychosocial constructs related to dietary and chronic disease management behaviors.

Recent publications:

• Samuel-Hodge CD, Keyserling TC, Park S, Johnston LF, Gizlice Z, Bangdiwala SI. A Multi-Site, Group-Randomized trial of a church-Based Diabetes Self-Management Program for African Americans with Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Educ 2009 May-Jun;35(3):439-54.
• Samuel-Hodge CD, Johnston LF, Gizlice Z, Garcia BA, Lindsley SC, Bramble KP, Hardy TE, Ammerman AS, Poindexter PA, Will JC, Keyserling TC. Randomized Trial of a Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention for Low-Income Women: The Weight-Wise Program Obesity (Silver Spring). 2009 Apr 30.
• Hollis JF, Gullion CM, Stevens VJ, Brantley PJ, Appel LJ, Ard JD, Champagne CM, Dalcin A, Erlinger TP, Funk K, Laferriere D, Lin PH, Loria CM, Samuel-Hodge C, Vollmer VM, Svetkey LP; Weight Loss Maintenance Trial Research Group. Weight loss during the intensive intervention phase of the weight-loss maintenance trial. Am J Prev Med. 2008 Aug;35(2):118-26.
• Keyserling TC, Samuel-Hodge CD, Jilcott SB, Johnston LF, Garcia BA, Gizlice Z, Gross MD, Saviñon CE, Bangdiwala SI, Will JC, Farris RP, Trost S, Ammerman AS. Randomized trial of a clinic-based, community-supported lifestyle intervention to improve physical activity and diet: the North Carolina enhanced WISEWOMAN project. Prev Med. 2008 Jun;46(6):499-510.
• Samuel-Hodge CD, Watkins DC, Rowell KL, Hooten EG. Coping styles, well-being, and self-care behaviors among African Americans with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Educ. 2008 May/Jun;34(3):501-10.

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Kristie J. Lancaster, PhD (Nutrition), RD

AACORN Research, Evaluation, and Dissemination Core Associate Director
Associate Professor, Dept. of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health
New York University
New York, NY

Obesity-related expertise/interests: assessment of dietary patterns and determinants; nutrition education and other interventions to improve hypertension, diabetes, and obesity in at-risk populations including African Americans and older adults; church-based interventions

Recent publications:

• Kumanyika SK, Lancaster KJ. The challenge of feeding children to protect against overweight. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2008;84(1):3-6.
• Lancaster KJ, Watts SO, Dixon LB. Dietary intake and risk of coronary heart disease differ among ethnic subgroups of black Americans. J Nutr. 2006;136:446-51.
• Lancaster KJ. Characteristics influencing daily consumption of fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy products in older adults with hypertension. J Nutr Elder. 2004;23:21-33.
• Lancaster KJ, Smiciklas-Wright H, Weitzel LB, Mitchell DC, Friedmann JM, Jensen GL. Hypertension-related dietary patterns of rural older adults. Prev Med. 2004;38:812-8.

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Angela M. Odoms-Young, PhD (Community Nutrition)

Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, IL

Obesity-related expertise/interests: social and cultural influences on health behavior in African-American and low-income women, particularly the influence of religion, SES, neighborhood context, and race on weight-related perceptions and behaviors; community-based interventions

Recent publications:

• Peek ME, Wilson SC, Gorawara-Bhat R, Odoms-Young A, Quinn MT, Chin MH. Barriers and Facilitators to Shared Decision-making Among African-Americans with Diabetes. J Gen Intern Med. 2009 Jul 4. [Epub ahead of print]
• Zenk SN, Schulz AJ, Odoms-Young AM. How neighborhood environments contribute to obesity. Am J Nurs. 2009 Jul;109(7):61-4.
• Odoms-Young AM, Zenk S, Mason M. Measuring food availability and access in African-American communities: implications for intervention and policy. Am J Prev Med. 2009 Apr;36(4 Suppl):S145-50.
• Harley AE, Katz ML, Heaney CA, Duncan DT, Buckworth J, Odoms-Young A, Willis SK. Social support and companionship among active african american women. Am J Health Behav. 2009 Nov-Dec;33(6):673-85.

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T. Elaine Prewitt, DrPH (Nutrition)

Associate Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management
College of Public Health
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Little Rock, AK

Obesity-related expertise/interests: dietary intervention in African Americans, hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia; obesity prevention in African Americans, cross-cultural studies of disease risk; community-based participatory research

Recent publications:

• West DS, Elaine Prewitt T, Bursac Z, Felix HC. Weight loss of black, white, and Hispanic men and women in the Diabetes Prevention Program. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008;16(6):1413-20.
• West DS, Bursac Z, Quimby D, Prewitt TE, Spatz T, Nash C, Mays G, Eddings K. Self-reported sugar-sweetened beverage intake among college students. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2006;14(10):1825-31.
• Adeyemo AA, Prewitt TE, Luke A, Omotade OO, Rotimi CN, Brieger WR, Cooper RS. The feasibility of implementing a dietary sodium reduction intervention among free-living normotensive individuals in south west Nigeria. Ethn Dis. 2002 Spring;12(2):207-12.
• Okosun IS, Prewitt TE, Chandra KM. Serum carotenoids and clustering of adverse health behaviors in American adults. Am J Health Behav. 2002;26(2):145-58.